You are calling a Hearer, One very close by; The One Who you are calling is closer to each one of you. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Believers are modest from the heart

One of the most important conditions of faith is modesty. A verse in the Qur’an reads: "The people who truly do believe in Our signs are those who fall to the ground prostrating when they are reminded of them, and glorify their Lord with praise, and are not arrogant" (Surat as-Sajda, 15). Believers are constantly aware that Allah does not love anyone who is vain or boastful, therefore they are always modest.

The morality of Islam entails submission to Allah, and submission entails acknowledgement of one's weaknesses. Believers, who recognise that everything belongs to Allah, and that they themselves are weak and in need of Him, also act modestly towards Allah's other faithful servants. Being arrogant is contrary to faith, and the Messenger of Allah (saas) tells the believers to be humble and to treat each other like brothers in a hadith:

Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another, but be you. O servants of Allah, brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he neither oppresses him nor does he fail him, he neither lies to him nor does he hold him in contempt. Piety is right here -and the Prophet (saas) pointed to his breast three times. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. (Muslim)

Arrogance and modesty especially manifest themselves during human relations. The conduct of Iblis, as related in the Qur' an, best illustrates this point. Iblis refused to prostrate himself to the Prophet Adam. Being aware of Allah's infinite might, it was illogical for him to openly claim superiority over Allah. But, it was his pride that was hurt. It was the Prophet Adam to whom he showed arrogance, and thereby exposed his rebellious intent towards Allah.

Consequently, arrogance, which is, in actuality, a sin against Allah, manifests itself during the relations of one person with another.

Surely, modesty also manifests itself under the same conditions. Believers show their submission to Allah by behaving modestly towards His believing servants. Aware of the fact that they are not responsible for the creation of their qualities, they are grateful to Allah, and never forget that Allah may reclaim any of these at any time. Fearing punishment from their Creator, Who is the Possessor of infinite power, they take refuge in no one but Him. This submissiveness of the believers, and their fear of Allah, is related in a verse as follows:

Say: "No one can protect me from Allah and I will never find any refuge apart from Him." (Surat al-Jinn, 22)

An intelligent and experienced person well acquainted with the Qur'an can detect the minor faults and weaknesses in the faith of people and advise them. This is a praiseworthy quality, yet that does not mean he himself is free of mistakes. On contrary, he must strive to avoid committing the same errors; otherwise, he may earn Allah's disapproval rather than reward for his advice.

Do you order people to devoutness and forget yourselves, when you recite the Book? Will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-Baqara, 44)

It is unlikely that someone able to recognize a fault in others will fail to recognize it in his own soul. Undoubtedly, he is also aware of his own wrongdoings and sins. This shows that he is very insincere. For instance, it would be hypocritical for a liar to call people to truth and sincerity, or for someone who does not pray to call others to regular prayer. An advisor who fears Allah would surely be the first one to avoid committing sins. The conclusion to the verse above, "Will you not use your intellect?" makes it clear that people should practice what they preach.

Deviant attitudes such as the desire to control others, have one's word respected or be influential underlie hypocritical behavior that lies outside Qur'anic morality. This kind of motivation will neither protect the interests of the religion nor correct the mistakes and sins of Muslims. If one gives these warnings out of the fear of Allah and out of concern that these errors should not be committed, he is more concerned that he does not commit the same sins himself. But when he counsels and advises only to attain status, respect and esteem, the manipulation of faith-related issues for personal benefit will only lead to great disappointment in the Hereafter.

When a Muslim sees another committing an error that he himself is guilty of, he can let him know that he too is trying to correct that same mistake. Then the two can encourage one another toward improvement and by doing so, earn the pleasure of Allah.

Molecules: The Source Of Flavor And Beauty

Many substances look different and have different features although they include the same atoms. What do you think makes objects around you different? What makes them different in terms of their color, shape, smell and taste, and what makes them soft or hard? The reason for all of these distinctive differences is that their atoms constitute different chemical bonds to form molecules.

Following atoms, which are the first step on the way to substance, molecules are the second step. Molecules are the smallest units which determine the chemical features of a substance. Some of these small structures consist of one or more atoms, but some of them consist of thousands of atom groups. The diversity we see around us arises because molecules come together in different ways. We can see this by giving examples from our senses of taste and smell.

Indeed, concepts like "taste" and "smell" are nothing more than perceptions created in our sense organs by different molecules. The smells of foods, drinks, and various fruits and flowers all consist of volatile molecules, an example of which we see in the small picture on the right. Atoms form living and non-living substances and also give matter its taste and beauty. How does this ever happen?

Volatile molecules like vanilla and tulip scents penetrate the receptors of tiny hairs in the region of the nose called the epithelium and interact with these receptors. This interaction is perceived as scent in our brain. Similarly, there are four different types of chemical receptors at the front part of the human tongue. These correspond to the salty, sweet, sour and bitter tastes. The molecules that come to the receptors of all our sense organs are perceived as chemical signals by our brain.

Today, it is understood how taste and smell are perceived and how they are made. Yet, scientists cannot reach a consensus on why some substances smell more while some others smell less, or why some of them smell bad while some others smell pleasant.

The existence of taste and smell is not a fundamental need for human beings. However, hundreds of kinds of delicious fruits and vegetables, with their enticing scents, and thousands of kinds of flowers with different colors, shapes and smells, all come out of the soil. All of them add a distinctive beauty to our world as products of a magnificent art.

From this point of view, color and smell, like all other blessings, are two of those beauties that Allah, the Most Gracious and Glorious, bestows on people without measure. The absence of these two senses only would be enough to make man's life tasteless. In return for all these blessings given to him, what befalls on a man is certainly to try to be a servant of Allah, Who encompasses him with His knowledge.

Shadow; one example of Allah's artistry of detail

AL-QADEER
The Powerful

Among His Signs is that you see Earth laid bare and then, when We send down water on it, it quivers and swells. He Who gives it life is He Who gives life to the dead. Certainly He has power over all things . (Surah Fussilat, 41:39)

As Allah informs us in many verses, every event is known to Him, for He wills it into existence just by saying: “Be.” He knows when each leaf falls, when each woman or female animal becomes pregnant, and whatever happens at any location in the universe. If He wills, He can replace an unbelieving society with a new one. He grants or withdraws enormous possessions to whomever He wills, punishes an unbelieving society at a time and by a method of His choice, and makes the ground infertile or dry and devoid of life. Nothing that exists can prevent Him from doing what He wills, for His power is infinite, as revealed in the following verses:

Have they not traveled in the land and seen the final fate of those before them? They were far greater than them in strength. Allah cannot be withstood in any way, either in the heavens or on Earth. He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful. (Surah Fatir, 35:44)

No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests that We have the power to replace them with something better than them. We will not be outstripped. (Surat al- Ma‘arij, 70:40-41)

Just as He punishes an unbelieving nation, He has the power to grant mercy to His sincere servants. In the Qur'an, we find many examples of His power. As a manifestation of His name, al-Qadeer , Allah has always helped His sincere servants and shown them a way out of their hard and difficult situation. He saved Prophet Ibrahim (as) from a pit of fire, rescued Prophet Yusuf (as) from the depths of a well, and released Prophet Yunus (as) from the darkness in the fish's stomach. Similarly, Allah granted a child to Prophet Zakariyya (as) when he was old and his wife was infertile, and thereby manifested His power over everything. Throughout history, Allah has supported all of His Messengers and believers and helped them with His mercy and power in return for their patience and trust in Him.

The Courthouses and the Prisons Will Be Emptied in the Time of Hazrat Mahdi (as)

- Our Prophet (saas) reveals in the hadiths that immediately prior to the visible appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) there will be an increase in crime levels and diversity of crime. They are each portents of the End Times.

- The hadiths describe how murders will rise, adultery will increase, there will be a rise in cases of suicide, bribery will be widespread and there will be increases in many similar offenses during the End Times.

- Since lovelessness and distrust are widespread, one of the important signs of the End Times, the slightest disagreement can give rise to serious disputes, as a result of which serious crimes may be perpetrated.

- As a result, prisons today are full to capacity. The courthouses are also overflowing on a daily basis.

- The judges, prosecutors and wardens who work in the courthouses and prisons ARE THEREFORE IMPRISONED IN A WAY BETWEEN FOUR WALLS IN NARROW, DARK CELLS. They have to work in these dismal places from morning till night. They have to make the most equitable decisions that may be affecting people’s whole lives under these very difficult conditions.

- It is essential, in terms of the work these valuable people do, that they should be under no physical or psychological pressure. It is essential that they should be calm and free of stress if they are to make the most accurate decisions in line with good conscience. It is vitally important that these people be given the finest means available.

Darwinist Publications Are Now Admitting The Harm Done To The World By Darwinist Corruption

A subject that Adnan Oktar discussed in his book The Social Weapon: Darwinism, first published in 2004, and later in a number of articles in the wake of a number of subsequent developments, has now, years later, appeared in world famous Darwinist publications. The subject is the school massacres that Darwinist corruption has brought with it. The common feature of the large number of school massacres concerned is that they were perpetrated by young students “in the name of evolution” and in the name of “natural selection.”

The Timesonline web site set the connection between Darwinism and the killings in question out on 8 November, 2009, while in Turkey daily Haberturk also covered the story on 9 November, 2009, under the caption “High School Killings down to Darwin.” The fact is, however, that the massacres in question took place at various intervals over the previous 10 years. Furthermore, the young people doing the shooting in all these massacres announced that they were doing so because of Darwinism. Each one believed, as a requirement of Darwinist ideology, that the weak needed to be eliminated and destroyed. Because they regarded their friends and teachers as animals, it was not hard to slaughter them with that mindset. On the contrary, they thought that killing these people would contribute to society and the future.

Darwinism is just such a perverted belief. It has been around since ancient Sumerian times and assumed the form of a dictatorship, with masonic support and propaganda, in the wake of Darwin’s the Origin of Species, since when it has constantly wreaked devastation on society. Under the rule of communist and fascist dictators with a huge admiration for Darwin, the world wars were where Darwinist ideology has been fully implemented. Three hundred fifty million people were martyred or slaughtered in these conflicts. This terrible bloodshed is the most savage consequence of heretical Darwinist ideology. These great world wars have now been replaced by murders, massacres, civil conflicts, degeneration and racism. School massacres are a further and terrifying dimension of this devastation and destruction wreaked by Darwinism.

If a young person regards his family, friends, teachers and other people as animals, if he believes that everything in his life, himself included, is the work of chance, and if he thinks that the strong must survive while the weak are eliminated and destroyed, then it is very easy for such a young person to slaughter someone he “regards as unnecessary and worthless according to natural selection.” The person concerned may be his mother, teacher or best friend. In his eyes, each is just a kind of animal. It is impossible, unless Allah wills otherwise, to win such a person over with such subjects as moral virtue, family values, altruism, love, affection or compassion. Because such a person’s ideology and perspective on the world are totally different. In order for such a person to understand love and affection he would have to posses love and fear of Allah, and love of man. But these two beliefs have no place in the Darwinist mindset. Therefore, the young person must first be freed from that Darwinist mindset if he is to be taught love and moral virtue.

Such a young person will only begin to think normally once he knows that all beings are not created by chance and that it is Almighty Allah Who created him and all those around him. He will realize that Allah has brought him into the world for a purpose, that he lives for a reason and that there is wisdom behind the fact of death. He will realize that Allah bestows constant blessings on him throughout his life. He will realize that there is not a moment of chance in his existence or life. He will be held to account by Allah for every moment of his life and will be responsible for all the blessings bestowed on him. Because an eternal life awaits him in the Hereafter. In order to deserve that greatest happiness in life, Paradise, one must strive throughout one’s life to earn Allah’s approval and strive to posses the moral virtues that are pleasing to Allah. Only then can such a person become aware that all entities bear the spirit of Allah, that all beings are manifestations of the beauty of Allah, and that we need to strive for the Hereafter. Only then can such a person be told about moral virtue, love, affection, loyalty and compassion. Belief in Allah will recreate such a person as an individual full of peace and love and with a brand new, immaculate perspective. He will finally abandon all feelings of destruction, fear and hatred, brought with it by Darwinist ideology, in favor of feelings of love, affection and friendship.

Those who stand up and say, “Darwinism is a thing of the past, so why do people regard it as a threat?” must realize what society becomes because of Darwinism. They must see that there will be no more wars, civil conflicts, terror, murder or slaughter in the world if Darwinism is eradicated from it. They must realize that moral evils such as Darwinism and degeneration, hatred and anger, the consequences of the irreligion inflicted by Darwinism, will all come to an end. Darwinism is the fundamental source of all the scourges and unrest afflicting the world today. For that reason it is essential to wage an intellectual campaign against this pagan and heretical religion until Darwinism has vanished from the world.

Almighty Allah reveals in verses that:

Allah has given you wives from among yourselves, and given you children and grandchildren from your wives, and provided good things for you. So why do they believe in falsehood and reject the blessings of Allah, and worship, instead of Allah, things that have no control over their provision from the heavens or Earth in any way, and are themselves completely impotent? Do not try to make metaphors for Allah. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat an-Nahl, 72-74)

THE PEOPLE OF SABA AND THE ARIM FLOOD

Ruins of the Temple of Ma’rib

Many centuries ago, the community of Saba was one of the four biggest civilisations which lived in South Arabia.

Historical sources relating to Saba usually say that this was a culture akin to that of the Phoenicians. It was particularly involved in commercial activities. The Sabaeans are recognised by historians as a civilised and cultured people. In the inscriptions of the rulers of Saba, words such as "restore," "dedicate" and "construct" are frequently used. The Ma'rib Dam, which is one of the most important monuments of this people, is an important indication of the technological level this people had reached.
The Sabaean state had one of the strongest armies in the region and was able to adopt an expansionist policy thanks to its potent army. With its advanced culture and army, the Sabaean state was without question one of the "super powers" of the region at the time. This extraordinarily strong army of the Sabaean state is also described in the Qur'an. An expression of the commanders of the Saba army related in the Qur'an, shows the extent of the confidence this army had in itself. The commanders call out to the female ruler (Queen) of the state:

"We possess strength and we possess great force. But the matter is in your hands so consider what you command." (Qur'an, 27:33)

Because of the Ma'rib Dam which had been constructed, with the help of quite advanced technology for that particular era, the people of Saba possessed an enormous irrigation capacity. The fertile soil they acquired by virtue of this technique and their control over the trade route permitted them a splendid lifestyle, full of well-being. However, instead of giving thanks to Allah for all this, the Qur'an informs us that they actually "turned away from Him." Furthermore, they refused to heed the warnings and reminders issued to them. Because of these poor moral values, they merited punishment in the sight of Allah and their dams collapsed and the flood of Arim ruined all their lands.

The Ma’rib Dam (shown in the pictures above and to the side) was one of the major works of the people of Saba. The dam collapsed in the flood of Arim, mentioned in the Qur’an, and the Sabaean state was weakened economically and eventually collapsed.

The capital city of the Sabaean state was Ma'rib, which was extremely wealthy thanks to its advantageous geographical position. The capital city was very close to the River Adhanah. The point where the river reached Jabal Balaq was very suitable for the construction of a dam. Making use of this condition, the Sabaean people constructed a dam at this location at the time when their civilisation was first established, and they began irrigation. As a result, they reached a very high level of economic prosperity. The capital city, Ma'rib, was one of the most developed cities of the time. The Greek writer Pliny, who had visited the region and greatly praised it, also mentioned how green this region was.1

The height of the dam in Ma'rib was 16 metres, its width was 60 metres and its length was 620 metres. According to the calculations, the total area that could be irrigated by the dam was 9,600 hectares, of which 5,300 hectares belonged to the southern plain. The remaining part belonged to the northern plain. These two plains were referred to as "Ma'rib and two plains" in the Sabaean inscriptions.2 The expression in the Qur'an, "two gardens to the right and to the left," points to the imposing gardens and vineyards in these two valleys. Thanks to this dam and its irrigation systems, the region became famous as the best irrigated and most fruitful area of Yemen. The Frenchman J. Holevy and the Austrian Glaser proved from written documents that the Ma'rib dam existed since ancient times. In documents written in the Himer dialect, it is related that this dam rendered the territory very productive and was the heartbeat of the economy.

The dam that collapsed in 542 led to the flood of Arim and caused enormous damage. The vineyards, orchards and fields cultivated for hundreds of years by the people of Saba were completely destroyed. Following the collapse of the dam, the people of Saba appear to have entered a period of rapid contraction, at the end of which the Sabaean state came to an end.

When we examine the Qur'an in the light of the historical data above, we observe that there is very substantial agreement here. Archaeological findings and the historical data both verify what is recorded in the Qur'an. As mentioned in the verse, these people, who did not listen to the exhortations of their Prophet and who rejected faith, were in the end punished with a dreadful flood. This flood is described in the Qur'an in the following verses:

There was, for Saba, aforetime, a Sign in their home-land-two Gardens to the right and to the left. "Eat of the Sustenance [provided] by your Lord, and be grateful to Him: a territory fair and happy, and a Lord Oft-Forgiving!" But they turned away [from Allah], and We sent against them the Flood [released] from the dams, and We converted their two garden [rows] into "gardens" producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few [stunted] Lote-trees. That was the Requital We gave them because they ungratefully rejectedFaith: And never do We give [such] requital except to such as are ungrateful rejecters. (Qur'an, 34:15-17)

In the Qur'an, the punishment sent to the Sabaean people is named as "Sayl al-Arim" which means the "flood of Arim." This expression used in the Qur'an also tells us the manner in which this disaster occurred. The word "Arim" means dam or barrier. The expression "Sayl al-Arim" describes a flood that came about with the collapse of this barrier. Islamic commentators have resolved the issue of time and place being guided by the terms used in the Qur'an about the flood of Arim. For example, Mawdudi writes in his commentary:

As also used in the expression, Sayl al-Arim, the word "arim" is derived from the word "arimen" used in the Southern Arabic dialect, which means "dam, barrier." In the ruins unearthed in the excavations made in Yemen, this word was seen to be frequently used in this meaning. For example, in the inscriptions which was ordered by Yemen's Habesh monarch, Ebrehe (Abraha), after the restoration of the big Ma'rib wall in 542 and 543 AD, this word was used to mean dam (barrier) time and again. So, the expression of Sayl al- Arim means "a flood disaster which occurs after the destruction of a dam." ". We converted their two garden [rows] into gardens producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and some few [stunted] Lote-trees" (Qur'an, 34:16). That is, after the collapse of the dam-wall, all the country was inundated by the flood. The canals that had been dug by the Sabaean people, and the wall that had been constructed by building barriers between the mountains, were destroyed and the irrigation system fell apart. As a result, the territory, which was like a garden before, turned into a jungle. There was no fruit left but the cherry-like fruit of little stumpy trees.3

The Christian archaeologist Werner Keller, writer of "Und Die Bible Hat Doch Recht" (The Holy Book Was Right), accepted that the flood of Arim occurred according to the description of the Qur'an and wrote that the existence of such a dam and the destruction of the whole country by its collapse proves that the example given in the Qur'an about the people of the garden was indeed realised.4

After the disaster of the Arim flood, the region started to turn into a desert and the Sabaean people lost their most important source of income. Their lands, which had been agricultural havens of prosperity and financial strength, disappeared. The people, who had not heeded the call of Allah to believe in Him and to be grateful to Him, were in the end punished with this disaster.

Beeches, of the Fagaceae family, are native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America. Fossil record affords one of the most striking evidence proving that these trees have never undergone evolution. Beeches, whose traces always appear with the same features in the fossil record, have not undergone the slightest change for tens of millions of years, which shows that these trees did not gradually evolve from any other plant. With His superior wisdom, our Lord created the beech perfectly, as with all other living species, and with no prior examples.

We cannot remain unresponsive while Gaza in fire

What He Said

Afganistan Ayna TV – August 8- 2008

Adnan Oktar: I give the good news to the Afghan Nation, to my Afghani brothers; a great Turkish-Islamic Union is close at hand, InshaAllah. The Islamic-Union will be established within 10 years at most and within the Turkish- Islamic Union our brave Afgani brothers will also take part. They will be a beatiful member of this great, blessed community. Within this unity, there will be Azerbaijan, Turkestan, Turkmenistan, East-Turkestan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, even Armenia, Georgia and Lithuania, it will embrace all InshaAllah. It will be a perfect unity, and the pain and agony they are suffering inshaAllah will conduce them towards a strong faith and soul InshaAllah. They gain a deep thinking now, suffering renders people mature; inshaAllah I want them to see good in everything. Just like the Prophet Joseph (as) who grew mature and wiser in prison, the Afghan nation is growing mature as well. They become refined and gain a deep thinking, inshaAllah it will be good, in the end.

There is a saying: “Many hands make light works”. Unless we unite and ally with one another; that would bring us disintegration, fragmentation, evil, unfruitfulness, poverty, frustration, contempt and trouble. This is the result of disunity. There won’t be any disunity. Our religion is one, our language is one, our race is one, our traditions and customs are one. How can we be separated? It is unbelievable. It is a dreadful scene. That is certainly not rational.

Aksu TV - February 4- 2010

Adnan Oktar: Shall I tell you about the Turkish-Islamic Union? It is many times more freedom and many times more reason. It is technology, science, art, aesthetics, love, and beauty. It is the freedom and joy of all the teenagers. It is the freedom and joy of all the teeage girls. The teenage girls will come together and they will sing songs, they will have fun. Boys will have fun InshaAllah. A woman can go to Damascus alone by herself. They can go to Hadj (pilgrimage) alone by themselves. Now, as you see there is fear everywhere. Every state will be free within itself. Democracy is essential. Can it be said so? That’s to say, they get what they want. For example; whatever Iran wants, it gets it rightaway. Whatever Turkey wants, it gets it. There is no pressure in the age of Hazrat Mahdi (as). There is no blood shed. He won’t even awake the one while sleeping. Hazrat Mahdi (as) is madly in love with Allah. He will show people what love is. Everyone will look each other with good intentions, they will experience love. They will become friends. Kidnapping, murdering, hanging, chopping, these will all end. The one who has no fear of Allah, will be afraid of Hazrat Mahdi (as), I’m telling you. No one can see a single case in the age of Hazrat Mahdi (as). It is not because Mahdi (as) will do something. He is a person of compassion and affection. People fear from Mahdi’s (as) spirituality, InshaAllah. In prisons people will sing songs inshaAllah. We will eat there, we will chat there and we will turn those places into restaurants inshaAllah. The police stations, as well. We will chat there as we do in a patisseries inshaAllah. Everyone will be sincere. I mean, the court houses will not work so fiercely. The police stations will not work fiercely. The police will no longer need to patrol on the streets all the time.

What Happened

Vakit - April 05- 2010

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that “ Turkish and Arabic people are like the fingers of one hand, they are as close as two coats of paint. Our past within this land is the same. And know that our future is the same.”

President Erdogan who delivered a speech in the grand opening of TRT El Turkiye Channel said: “ Turkish and Arabic people are like the fingers of one hand, they are as close as two coats of paint. There might be invisible barriers and walls between us but we have the power and will to surpass them, all. No one has ever been capable of separating the brothers, of sowing discord between brothers of seeding malice between brothers. And there will be no one capable of doing so, from now on, as well. While Gaza is in fire, while the dark clouds are floating upon our civilization we cannot remain unresponsive, we cannot simply ignore it, we cannot stand there still with our hands, arms and tongues tied”.

And the Moon is eclipsed, and the Sun and the Moon are fused together, on that Day man will ask: "Where can I run?" No indeed! There will be no safe place. That Day, the only resting place will be your Lord. (Surat al-Qiyama, 8-12)

Consider the people and events that shape your life. You are working hard to get somewhere, trying to find your place in the struggle for a good life. You are very attentive to some matters and reflect deeply upon them. At the same time, you carefully avoid thinking about other matters and, as it happens, many people close to you do the same. Everyone knows what subjects to avoid in conversation and thought. Death is one of these, perhaps the most important one. For them, death is an end to which there is no solution.

The Day of Judgment, which will bring "death" to the universe just like the death of people, is a matter that people do not like to think about; rather, they consider it as a remote and distant matter. They have a vague idea of what will happen on that Day, but since the thought of it scares them, people are inclined to forget about it. Rather than facing up to it, they just get on with their lives instead.